More about Jack Kevorkian and assisted suicide

Dr. Jack Kevorkian, the assisted-suicide activist who came to be known as “Dr. Death,” died early Friday in an intensive care unit at a Michigan hospital. He was 83 years old, and suffered a pulmonary thrombosis while hospitalized for kidney problems and pneumonia.

Kevorkian’s illness was relatively brief, and assisted suicide apparently was not a factor. But the former pathologist aided at least 130 people in bringing an end to their lives -- including victims of debilitating and incurable diseases like Alzheimer’s and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig’s disease). He served eight years in prison for one of those deaths -- a case where he, not the patient, administered a lethal injection.

The doctor’s methods and outspokenness made him a lightning rod for debate about right-to-die issues, which continues today.

To read more about Kevorkian’s life and the right-to-die movement, check out the related content.